Rick Perry calls Texas legislature back to push clinic-closing bill through

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is praying that 30 days of trying to ram through an unconstitutional anti-abortion bill will be enough to get it done.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is praying that 30 days of trying to ram through an unconstitutional anti-abortion bill will be enough to get it done.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is doing everything he can to be sure no pesky filibuster disrupts Republican plans for a viciously restrictive anti-abortion bill next time it comes up—and next time is going to be soon. Perry is calling the legislature back for another special session, and:

Unlike the last 30-day special session, Perry is not waiting 16 days before adding abortion to the agenda. It will start immediately.

Because that's just how committed to the sanctity of life Perry was feeling, on the same day as Texas executed its 500th inmate since the reinstatement of the death penalty.

Even state Sen. Wendy Davis will not be able to stay on her feet and talking for 30 days, to say nothing of the fact that next time around, Republicans would probably say she was off topic for reading a copy of the bill in question. That bill would not just ban abortion after 20 weeks—a ban that's still unconstitutional, at least until Antonin Scalia gets his hands on it—but close all but five abortion providers in the state.

Texas choice advocates will continue fighting, but the odds are sharply against them. According to Davis:

“They may roll over us. They probably will, but they underestimate the consequences of doing so,” Davis said in a telephone interview. “Obviously we’re still going to fight with every fiber that we have.”

Had enough of Rick Perry? Let's draft Wendy Davis for governor.